Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan may have been unfairly arrested because of his gender-critical views, a watchdog has found.
The comedy writer was detained and questioned by armed Metropolitan Police officers at Heathrow airport last year over anti-transgender comments he had posted on social media.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has now found the Met's handling of a complaint lodged by Mr Linehan was 'not reasonable and proportionate'.
It has ordered Scotland Yard to reinvestigate Mr Linehan's complaint.
The IOPC has also specifically directed the force to examine whether the writer was discriminated against.
Mr Linehan told the Daily Mail he hoped the case would show how British policing had been 'corrupted' by 'incoherent' gender ideology.
An IOPC spokesman said: 'In May 2026, we received an application to review the Met Police's handling of a complaint by a man, who was arrested in September 2025.
'The complaint related to the force's investigation into him and their treatment of him, including an allegation that he was discriminated against due to his gender-critical beliefs.
'When carrying out a review, our casework team's role is to decide whether the force's handling of the complaint was reasonable and proportionate.
Graham Linehan has spoken of how his successful TV comedy career was destroyed – along with his marriage – after he went public with his gender-critical views and his opposition to trans activism in 2018.
'In October, we found the outcome of the complaint was not reasonable and proportionate and directed the Met to reinvestigate a number of the allegations made.
'We found that, during the complaint investigation, the force failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the grounds for the man's arrest and failed to pursue lines of enquiry regarding a complaint about the man's bail conditions.
'We also directed them to reinvestigate the allegation that he was discriminated against.'
The spokesman added: 'The man will have a further right of review to the IOPC should he be dissatisfied with the outcome of the force's reinvestigation.'
Mr Linehan, 58, who also created the Channel 4 sit-com The IT Crowd, was detained at Heathrow and arrested on suspicion of inciting violence after a complaint by transgender activist and former police officer Lynsay Watson.
One post by Mr Linehan read: 'If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the b****.'
Police watchdog the IOPC has found Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan may have been discriminated against
It was posted six months before the arrest on X.
The writer suffered dangerously high blood pressure and was admitted to hospital.
He later faced no further action after the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was no realistic prospect of a conviction.
Earlier this year, the force issued an apology to Mr Linehan following the conclusion of a five-month internal investigation and admitted his detention had been unacceptable.
He was also paid £25,000 in compensation by the Met.
However, the IOPC's latest ruling indicates the Met's internal investigation did not go far enough.
Mr Linehan said in the wake of the IOPC ruling: 'For over a decade the police, along with almost every institution in the UK, have been in thrall to gender identity ideology.
'I don't want to say much until I hear the final review, but my hope is that my case will lead to increased scrutiny of how an incoherent set of beliefs has corrupted policing in this country.'
Mr Linehan's complaint to the IOPC is understood to have argued his arrest was unlawful and an abuse of his freedom of expression rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lord Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union which backed Mr Linehan's challenge, said: 'I welcome this decision by the IOPC.
'The Met had no regard for Graham Linehan's right to free speech when they sent five armed officers to arrest him for a tweet.
'I hope the fact that Graham's complaint has been upheld the police in future spend more time policing our streets and less time policing our tweets.'
Mr Linehan has spoken of how his successful career was destroyed – along with his marriage – after he went public with his gender-critical views and his opposition to trans activism in 2018.
Years later, in April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based only on biological sex, in an important victory for campaigners who have argued women's rights were being infringed by pro-trans policies.
A Met spokesman said: 'We will be reviewing the IOPC's decision and reopening the complaint.'